Machine for exhausting and testing cans.



Patented Feb. I9, I901.

No. ssa,49|.

(No Model.)

' INVENTO/i I 2am; Idasezzs WITNESSES:

s PEYERS 00, mo 0 WASMINGTON a c THOMAS JAMES OOSENS, OF NEW WESTMINSTER, CANADA.

MACHINE FOR EXHAUSTING AND TESTING CANS.

dPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 668,491, dated February 19, 1901.

Application filed November 1, 1900. nerial No. 35,143. (No model.)

To all whom, it inc/y concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS JAMES CosENs, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at New \Vestminster, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented a new and useful Machine for Exhausting and Testing Cans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the manner of exhausting the steam and air from cans and of testing them after the vent has been soldered up, by which I dispense altogether with what is known as the firstcooking process in canning fish, which is really not necessary as a cooking process, but merely serves to expand the air and drive it to the tops of the cans.

In the use of my machine I save the firstcooking retorts and the time and labor necessary in charging the same and closing and opening the steam-tight doors; also, the closing of the vents and reventing,which is found necessary in the use of such a first-cooking system and the considerable handling and moving about incidental to such. I substitute therefor an extremely simple machine wherein the cans are received directly from the soldering-machine for which they have been already vented and during a continuous forward movement are exhausted of air, the vents closed, and the cans finally tested for leaks. I attain these objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in vthe following drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my machine, and Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.

My machine consists of two shallow baths or troughs A and O, with a table B intervening. These baths are filled with water, which is kept at a high temperature by live steam through the perforated pipes H H I I. Through these baths run conveyors, formed of sprocket-chains J on each side of the inside of the bath, with slats F across between them. These conveyor chains are slack enough to allow the weight of the trays of fish to depress them until the cans are immersed in the water, and they are driven at a uniform forward speed by means of sprocketwheels E at each end of each bath. These are driven from vertical shafts by a Wormwheel L and worm L at one end of each.

-drop of solder.

K K are carriers supporting the slack of the return chains.

D D are receiving-rollers at the entering end of the machine, and G is a supportingroller between the sprocket -wheels of the two separate tanks.

In using my machine the trays of cans are brought direct from the soldering-machine and being run onto the rollers are pushed into the machine until engaged by the cross-slats of the conveyer, which carry them on through the tank of hot water A, the weight of the cans being sufficienttoimmerse them and thedepth of water such as to leave the tops exposed As they pass through the tank A the heat communicated from the water expels all the air from the cans, and in the further progress of the conveyer theyare gradually raised up the incline at the end of the tank and pass over the roller G onto the table B. As they pass over this table attendants stop the vents with a The further movement immerses them slowly but entirely in the tank of hot water, when as the cans become heated up any leakage is revealed by the escaping air-bubbles. The steam-pipes in this tank are arranged close to the sides, and the perforations are accumulated near the ends, so that the disturbance of the water does not interfere with the detection of leaks in the cans. The defective ones are removed, and the remainder are then delivered from the machine in a condition for final cooking or washing and packing, as the process of any particular case may require.

Having now particularly described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In combination with a long shallow tank, receiving-rolls at the entering end; a conveyer traveling through the length of such tank; sprocket-wheels at each end to drive such conveyer; a worm-wheel and Worm to drive the sprocket-Wheel shaft and conveyor at a slow, uniform speed; perforated steampipes at the bottom of the tank and means whereby steam is conveyed thereto; a table in line with aforementioned tank the height of which is level with the ends of the tank; a second tank forming a continuation of such table; a conveyor passing over the table and through the length of this tank; a supportingroller between the two conveyors; a steampipe having branches extending along the sides of the bottom of the tank; perforations toward the extreme ends of the branches, and means whereby steam is admitted to the same, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a long shallow tank havingreceiving-rolls at the entering end and a conveyer passing through its length actuated by suitably-driven sprocket-wheels at the ends; a perforated steam-pipe in the bottom of the tank and means whereby steam may be admitted thereto; a table in line with the tank, the height of which is level with the ends of the same; a second tank forming a continuation of the table; a conveyer within the width of the tank formed of slats between the sprocket-chains passing over sprocketwheels at the outer end of the table and opposite end of the tank; a worm on a vertical shaft engaging a worm-wheel on the shaft of the sprocket-wheel; a supporting-roller between the conveyers; a steam-pipe at the bottom of the tank having branches along the sides of the same; perforations toward the extreme ends of the branches, and means whereby steam is admitted to the same, all

substantially as described.

3. In combination with a tank having a table in continuation of the same, and a conveyer passing over the table and through the tank; a second tank forming a continuation. of aforesaid tank and table; a conveyor in the second tank; sprocket-wheels by which such conveyer is driven; a vertical shaft carrying a worm-gearing with a worm-wheel on the sprocket-wheel shaft; a supporting-roller between the conveyers; receiving-rollers at the entering end of the second tank, and perforated steam-pipes in the bottom of the tank, all substantially as described.

4. An apparatus for the purposes described, comprising two water-holding compartments or tanks, a table between the two tanks in a plane above the water-line, means for conveying the cans into one compartment, said means being arranged to cause a partial immersion of the cans they pass through the said compartment, said means including devices for carrying the partly-immersed cans over the table, and then conveying said cans down and through the second compartment, entirely immersing said cans, and then passing same out of said last compartment, as specified.

5. An apparatus for the purposes described, comprising two water-holding tanks disposed in the same longitudinal plane, means located in the tank for heating the water therein, a table between the adjacent ends of the two tanks, disposed in a plane above the waterlevel in the tanks, an endless conveyer for the first tank, having a slack portion arranged to cause a partial immersion of the cans as they pass through the first tank, a second endless conveyer for the second tank, said conveyer passing over the table and having a slack portion adapted to fully immerse the cans as they pass through the second tank and for discharging same after being immersed, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS JAMES COSENS.

Witnesses:

W. G. TRETHEWEY, ROWLAND BRITTAIN. 

